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Start Over You searched for: Person depicted Saint Nicholas Remove constraint Person depicted: Saint Nicholas Accession number Acc.374 Remove constraint Accession number: Acc.374
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Image Missing: Hearst Museum object titled Icon, museum number 7-3540, described as Icon; large central figure; has been overlaid with plates obscuring painting; 2 horizontal braces from sides, large background icon identified by Alexa Saunders (11-2-1964) as St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker. 9.25 x 11.75 inches. This is a “family icon.” It was often hung in a corner (the right corner facing the door- the krasni or prekrasni ugol). The overlay of smaller metal icons is of fairly recent origin judging from the use of nails and screws although the metal icons themselves are very old. It was customary for all members of Orthodox families to each be named after a saint or a martyr. Usually the largest and finest icon therefore was of the saint or martyr after whom the father or head of family was named. The other saints (i.e. those patron saints of the rest of the family) surrounded the central figure even as a family surrounds a father. The largest metal enamel central icon (traces of white enamel remaining) can be described thus: Top portion: classic icon called “Glorification of the Virgin.” Left top: Saints Alexander and Cyril. Left bottom: Saints Antony and Theodosius. Right top: Vassily (the other member saints’ name is obscured). Right bottom: Again St. Anthony - the other saints’ name is undecipherable. The different aspects of the icons of the Virgin are: The Virgin of Novgorod The Virgin of Kazan The Virgin of Pechersk Skorbiashchenskaya Virgin The small icons surrounding the central one are all of different patron saints of the family, St. Nicholas appearing most often . The small folding icon at the very top is that of St. Nicholas again. This type of icon was sometimes worn on a chain about the neck or folded and carried about on trips. Probably no older than 17th century.